"They might at least have a wry smile about what's happening in
NSW even if they're not part of it."

Mr Hewson said there was a conscious attempt to factionalise the
party and "there's no doubt that some of those people played a part
in the demise of John Brogden."

He agreed with Ms Forsythe's comments.

"Well this so-called religious right, I think it's true that
some of the greatest atrocities in history have been perpetrated in
the name of religion and it should be no different in the Liberal
Party I would think," he said.

"You're seeing it in the US, I mean [President George] Bush has
exploited the religion card, if you like, pretty extensively.

"He's used it as a very divisive mechanism to get himself
re-elected, and I think there's a tendency in Australia to say
we've drifted too far to the centre, or we've become to too
moderate or too progressive and that issues like abortion and
euthanasia and so on have gone soft on them, we'd better take a
hardline position.

"And I think Patricia's right, that if we did that as a party
we'd lose a tremendous amount of support in the electorate because
people are far more tolerant than the hardline right, I can tell
you."

Mr Hewson said deputy leader Barry O'Farrell was telling the
truth when he said he could not unify the state party as well as
new leader Peter Debnam.

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